iStock/Thinkstock(MOSUL, Iraq) — Iraqi troops say they have recaptured the main government office as they battle for control of Mosul against so-called Islamic State (IS), BBC News reports.
The move comes as Iraqi forces try to take back the western part of the city, which is also the last stronghold for IS in the country.
BBC News reports Iraqi troops stormed the government building in an overnight raid in what civilians are calling the heaviest night of fighting since forces began to retake western Mosul on Feb. 19.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi met with military leaders Tuesday morning in Mosul.
On Monday, troops recaptured the second of five bridges in the city that could be used to resupply or reinforce positions in the east. Iraqi forces recaptured the eastern part of Mosul in January.
Most of the government buildings in the western part of the city were found destroyed, but the takeover marks a strategic and symbolic win according to BBC News.
The so-called Islamic State has fiercely opposed the offensive of Iraqi troops according to BBC News, claiming multiple suicide attacks in various west Mosul neighborhoods.
Thousands are reportedly fleeing the city, but the United Nations estimates up to 800,000 people are still living in west Mosul.
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